Beginning Aug. 1, 2015, large Evanston retailers will no longer provide free, point-of-sale disposable plastic shopping bags to customers making purchases at their stores. This change is in support of an ordinance passed by the Evanston City Council in 2014 to discourage and decrease the use of disposable plastic shopping bags within the city.

To help community members and businesses make the transition away from disposable plastic shopping bags, the City has launched “Think Outside the Bag.” The campaign will include reusable shopping bag giveaways at Evanston locations throughout the summer, as well as a new “Share a Bag” program.

“Share a Bag” program

Individuals and community organizations can drop off or pick up reusable shopping bags at the following Evanston community centers as part of the “Share a Bag” program:

• Main Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Ave.
• North Branch Library, 2026 Central St.
• Chicago Ave./Main St. Branch Library, 900 Chicago Ave.
• Morton Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave.
• Chandler-Newberger Center, 1028 Central St.
• Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd.
• Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, 1655 Foster St.
• Gibbs-Morrison Cultural Center, 1823 Church St.
• Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave.
• Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St.
• Robert Crown Center, 1701 Main St.

In addition to dropping off or picking up reusable shopping bags at these locations, community members can also conveniently drop off plastic bags and plastic film for recycling.

Bag giveaways

To ensure that all community members have access to reusable shopping bags, the City will also be giving away “We Love Evanston” shopping bags according to the schedule below:

• Tuesday, June 23, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Levy Senior Center
• Sunday, June 28, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Main Evanston Public Library
• Wednesday, July 1, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Chandler-Newberger Center
• Tuesday, July 7, noon to 3 p.m., Morton Civic Center
• Friday, July 10, 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., Noyes Cultural Arts Center
• Wednesday, July 15, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Gibbs-Morrison Cultural Center
• Monday, July 20, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., North Branch Library

Bags have already been distributed at the Chicago Ave./Main St. Branch Library, Robert Crown Center and the Ecology Center. There will be a limit of one bag per resident on a first-come, first-served basis.

The City of Evanston will host its fifth annual recycling fair from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 11 at Evanston Township High School, 1600 Dodge Ave. The free event provides residents an opportunity to recycle a variety of items, securely shred documents, obtain recycling education materials, learn about construction projects, visit with “green” vendors, and more.

New this year, the fair will feature an enhanced “Touch a Truck” display, allowing community members of all ages to get an up-close look at City vehicles and heavy equipment, as well as those from ComEd, Nicor Gas, the US Army and more. Children can also enjoy free face-painting, temporary truck tattoos, and complimentary popcorn and snow cones.

Residents who bring items to recycle or shred are asked to follow the signs and remain in their cars as City staff unload the items. Electronic recycling and document destruction are open to residents of all Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) communities. Participants are asked to NOT line up before 8 a.m.

Electronic Recycling
The following electronic materials will be accepted:

• Televisions
• Computer monitors
• Cell phones
• Computers: PCs and laptops
• VHS and DVD players
• Printers and scanners
• DVR/Cable boxes
• Fax machines
• mp3 players and PDAs
• Mice, keyboards and drives
• Video game consoles

Document Shredding and Recycling
Residents can bring up to five banker’s boxes of paper documents to be shredded on site. Documents should be placed in a box or brown paper bag and large metal clips and binders should be removed ahead of time. Document shredding is not available for businesses.

Other Items
Additional items being collected this year:

• Clothing and shoes
• Vases
• Household batteries
• Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs)
• Ink cartridges
• Plastic grocery bags
• Reusable shopping bags

Medications Disposal
Thanks to the support of NorthShore University HealthSystem, Stericycle and the Evanston Police Department, medications will be accepted for disposal at the recycling fair this year. Residentially-generated, unused prescriptions and expired over-the-counter drugs will be accepted. Medications considered to be a controlled substance WILL also be accepted.

Community members disposing of medications will be directed to a designated tent where medications can be turned in to medical and police department staff. Medications should be kept separate from electronics, documents and other items being recycled at the fair.

• Medicines must be in labeled containers; no loose pills
• Needles or syringes (used or new) will not be accepted
• Multiple medicine bottles should be transported in a clear re-sealable storage bag
• Personal information may be marked out with black felt tip pens (do not remove labels)
• No bulk turn-ins will be accepted

For more information, please call or text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents in Evanston may simply dial 311*.

The City of Evanston is pleased to support the Evanston Environmental Association (EEA) and Nature’s Perspective Landscaping’s new Livable Landscapes program, which provides community members with assistance practicing water-absorbing and habitat-friendly landscaping in their yards.

The joint initiative aims to help community members better manage storm water run-off on their property by offering technical support, resources, and planting options specific to Evanston. The City is providing administrative support for the program.

Community members who participate in the program can select from a list of plants that are hardy and well-suited for flood-prone areas, as well as landscape design plans for rain garden installations of different sizes. An order form is available at arts.formstack.com/forms/livablelandscapes. There is a minimum purchase order of $50, before tax, to participate in the program. Prices do not include labor costs.

The deadline for placing orders has been extended. Orders must now be placed by Friday, June 19. Order pick-ups will be scheduled at Nature’s Perspective, 2000 Greenleaf St., Evanston.

Nature’s Perspective is also willing and qualified to assist community members with installation, design and planting, as well as provide additional resources regarding rain garden care and maintenance. As part of the program, the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association has made its Contractors Guide to: Small-scale Rain Gardens available to community members.

For more information, please contact Sustainability Fellow, Kumar Jensen, at kjensen@cityofevanston.org, or 847-448-8199.

The City of Evanston has received an increase in requests for service for rodents. The City is working with residents and businesses in a community-wide effort to control the rodent population.

What does the City do?

The Evanston Health & Human Services Department tracks and investigates 311 service requests and complaints; inspects alleys and properties for rodents; and performs and contracts baiting and exterior treatment for residential properties (FREE for residential properties). In many cases, inspectors have indicated that good management of property is essential to controlling the rodent population.
 

What can you do?

Eliminate (and recycle) rubbish, boxes, scrap metal and other materials that give rats a place to hide;

• Control weeds, shrubs and vegetation overgrowth, especially along foundations, that give rodents the means to move from location to location without being seen;

• Keep food away. Don’t put food out for stray animals, and remove bird-feeders;
• Manage garbage. Use durable, City-approved trash cans with tight-fitting lids;
• Seal holes and openings in garage walls and doors; and,
• Share this information. Tell your neighbors, tenants and landlords

If you see rats in your neighborhood, please call or text 847-448-4311 to schedule an inspection, or submit a 311 service request online.

In order for inspection and treatment to occur, residents must fill out the Release of Liability form. Evanston locations are typically serviced on Fridays, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. 

Resources

Online: Rodenticide Release of Liability Form http://cityofevanston.wufoo.com/forms/rodenticide-release-ofliability-form

To learn more about how you can assist in managing the rodent population, please review the Evanston Health & Human Services Department's publication, "Controlling Rats," at http://www.cityofevanston.org/assets/Rodent%20Prevention.pdf

The City of Evanston encourages community members to complete the “Age Friendly Evanston!” survey and provide feedback to help create a more livable community. Based on survey responses, the “Age Friendly Evanston!” Task Force will work with the Evanston City Council and staff to develop a three-year action plan to help achieve age friendly goals. Community members must complete the survey by midnight on Friday, June 19. 

The “Age Friendly Evanston!” survey can be completed over the phone by calling 847-448-4311, online at (cityofevanston.org/agefriendly), and in-person at the following locations:

• Evanston Public Library (EPL), 1703 Orrington Ave.
• EPL Chicago Ave./Main St. (CAMS) Branch, 900 Chicago Ave.
• EPL North Branch, 2026 Central St.
• Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, 1655 Foster St.
• Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave.
• McGaw YMCA, 1000 Grove St.
• Morton Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave.
• Ten Twenty Grove, 1020 Grove St.
• The Highlands at King Home, 1555 Oak Ave.
• The Merion, 1611 Chicago Ave.
• Three Crowns Park, 2323 McDaniel Ave.

The printed version of the survey is also available in Spanish. Please note that all responses will be kept confidential.

For more information about the “Age Friendly Evanston!” survey, please contact Assistant Director of Community Services Christina Ferraro at 847-448-8251.

Looking for answers to all of your questions about Evanston? Now you can communicate with the City’s 311 Center on Facebook and Twitter. To post a question or submit a request on these platforms, community members should “Like” City of Evanston 311 Center on Facebook and/or follow @Evanston311 on Twitter.

“We want to make sure 311 services are convenient to every Evanston community member, so it just seemed like a natural fit to launch our 311 Facebook and Twitter pages to ensure we are accessible to as many people as possible,” said 311 Supervisor Sue Pontarelli.

In addition to these social media platforms, community members can connect with the Evanston 311 Center through an online chat service on cityofevanston.org, direct text messages using the 10-digit phone number (847-448-4311), and the “Evanston 311” mobile app for smartphone users. The app is available for download from the App Store and Google Play, for iPhone and Android users. Community members can also dial 847-448-4311, or 311* in Evanston, to speak to a live operator.

The Evanston 311 Center is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and closed on Sunday.

To learn more about Evanston’s 311 service, please visit cityofevanston.org/311.

The Evanston Police Department is now accepting applications for the fourth annual Youth Citizen Police Academy, July 13 through 17. The free week-long program gives Evanston residents between the ages of 13 and 17 years the opportunity to learn about the issues affecting law enforcement efforts in the City of Evanston and how to develop a partnership with the police department.

Classes and discussions will take place Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and are limited to 20 students. The interactive curriculum includes a tour of police headquarters, CSI practices, an overview of SWAT operations, class experiments and exercises in self-defense, and an explanation of use-of-force decision making. Students will also receive a jacket and diploma upon completion of the Academy.

The police department is selective in choosing participants due to the need for positive interaction with instructors and other students attending the Academy. However, it should be noted that the Academy is not a boot camp or a program for rebellious teens or youth who have behavioral issues.

The deadline to register is Friday, July 10. Download the printable application and drop it off at the Evanston Police Station, 1454 Elmwood Ave., or email it to lspells@cityofevanston.org upon completion. 

For more information, please contact Academy Coordinator Officer Loyce Spells at 847-859-7843. 

Curriculum summary

• Police Station Tour
• Alcohol and DUI Experiment/Traffic Enforcement
• Patrol Operations
• Juvenile Investigations/Youth Services
• Crime Scene Investigations (CSI)/Evidence Technicians
• Use of Force Laws and Shoot/Don’t Shoot Exercise
• Gangs and Drugs Education Prevention
• Police Survival Skills/Self-Defense
• SWAT Operations
• Police Encounters

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has confirmed the first West Nile virus (WNV) positive mosquito batch reported in Illinois for 2015. St. Clair County Health Department employees collected a positive mosquito batch on May 26, 2015, in O’Fallon.

“West Nile virus activity is largely dependent on the weather and with the increased temperatures we’ve been seeing in Southern Illinois, mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus are becoming active,” said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. “We want to remind people not to be complacent. Take precautions to protect yourself by wearing insect repellent and getting rid of standing water around your home.”

WNV is an infection carried by the Culex mosquito. The Culex breeds in small pools of stagnant water. They rest during the day in areas of vegetation and they are most active and likely to bite between the hours of dusk and dawn. The most effective way to prevent WNV is to follow the 3R’s outlined below – Remove, Repel and Repair.

• Remove standing water around your home. Get rid of standing water in pet bowls, flower pots, old tires, bird baths, baby pools, and toys where mosquitoes can breed. Make sure rain gutters drain properly;
• Repel mosquitoes when outdoors by applying insect repellent with DEET and follow label directions; and,
• Repair or replace screens on doors and windows. 

Most people infected with WNV have no symptoms of illness and never become ill. However, illness can occur three to 15 days after an infected mosquito bite and cause symptoms of fever, headache and body aches. People over the age of 50 are at a higher risk for serious complications from encephalitis or meningitis. For that reason, people who experience high fever, confusion, muscle weakness, severe headaches or a stiff neck should see a doctor immediately. 

Residents can get advance notice of planned adult mosquito abatement operations. Spraying for adult mosquitos in Evanston is conducted by the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District (NSMAD). Typically, member communities get about 48 hours’ notice prior to spraying and operations are conducted in the late evening to early morning hours as weather permits.

To sign up for the notification system, residents should go to cityofevanston.org/subscribe, enter their email or wireless number, and then choose “Mosquito Abatement” under the “Special Interest” section. Alerts will be sent with the information provided to the City of Evanston by NSMAD.

For additional information, email the Evanston Health & Human Services Department at health@cityofevanston.org or call/text 847-448-4311.